Following Orders (the joke's on you, kiddo)
by Aestivate
Summary: Bart faces down Blue Beetle. He can win their fight, win the war, save the galaxy and lose Jaime – or lose the fight and lose everything. Seems like an easy choice, doesn't it? Just not one Bart had ever imagined he'd ever have to make. Bluepulse.


**Following Orders (the joke's on you, kiddo)**

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By,

Aestivate

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Rating: K+

Summary: Bart faces down Blue Beetle. He can win their fight, win the war, save the galaxy, and lose Jaime – or lose the fight and lose everything. Seems like an easy choice, doesn't it? Just not one Bart had ever imagined he'd ever have to make. Bluepulse.

Author's Note: Heavily inspired by yeahletsgowiththatone's heartbreaking fanart on Tumblr. Thank you (and curse you) for putting this scene into my head.

Word Count: 647

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The sword feels like lead in Bart's hands. He just wishes it were just as brittle. He just wishes it would crumble to pieces and slip like dust through his fingers, preventing him from ever having to use it.

The blade and the handle are made of Reach tech. In one wild moment he thinks of how silly and ridiculous it is that an alien race that has unparalleled technology and such an enormous fleet of ships that can also fight the Guardians of the Universe to a standstill would even think to create melee weapons.

Then again, the Reach is a race full of sadistic, standoffish jerks that like to play with their food before they eat it.

Bart knows this weapon will cut through the armor, and that's all that matters. As unnatural and heavy as the sword feels in his arms, he has to figure out a way to wield it – and soon.

_"Come on then, this is your perfect opportunity. Go ahead and do it. I order you to."_

_How dare you,_ Bart wants to scream. _How dare you take him from his family, from his teammates, from me?_ _How dare you use his voice, his body? How dare you cause him to betray his entire species? You are __**everything**__ he __**never **__wanted to become. _

_Follow orders, Bart. Take responsibility for your actions. All of those things are on you, too. All of those things are because of you. So crash the mode._

Then he thinks about the curve of the scythe and how perfectly clean the cut would be and how drenched he would end up in Jaime's blood, staining the white parts of his uniform red.

He thinks of what it took for get Blue Beetle in this position, completely at Bart's mercy. Bart stares down into the eyes of his biggest nightmare and sees only Jaime. He's in there somewhere. He has to be. If he wasn't, Bart would have been dead from the get-go. He refuses to consider the _(probably true)_ alternative; that he's just being played with. Like a toy. _Again._

No one's coming for them. The Team is too preoccupied with other battles, and no fight is as personal as this one is. Nightwing had even assigned him to a different squad at first but Bart had been vehemently defiant until their leader had caved and allowed him to proceed.

Bart is truly the biggest idiot in the galaxy – but in the worst joke in the universe, if he succeeds in killing Blue Beetle, he'd be hailed as the galaxy's greatest **hero.**

_Come on, Bart, follow orders! End him! Clear the game!_

Except Bart suspects he's already lost: When Blue Beetle gets bored of his toys, he'll dispose of them. He's not quite that bored of Bart yet. But almost.

And a part of Bart wishes Blue were bored of him already because he's not a hero. Not even a human. Something less than both.

Just a sack of animated meat.

In his mind's eye, Bart sees and hears Nightwing's lecturing about listening to commands.

Bart really shouldn't be here. But he is.

Bart really should have followed orders. But he didn't.

Bart really doesn't want to be making this decision. But he knows he has to.

Bart really should stab Blue now. But _oh_, how he doesn't want to.

For a split nanosecond Bart swears he sees Jaime underneath Blue Beetle's savage, bloodthirsty gaze.

_What are you waiting for, Impulse? Just do it!_

He won't. _"I can't."_

Then, Blue Beetle simply laughs - an impossibly cruel, sadistic, alien sound – and doesn't stop.

Blue Beetle never stops laughing, even as the cannon forms.

Blue Beetle never stops laughing, even as the cannon charges.

Blue Beetle laughs even harder when the cannon fires.

Even though he no longer has his favorite toy, Blue Beetle is still laughing.

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_Fin._


End file.
